Natural hazards · Muhlenberg

Muhlenberg, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Muhlenberg comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 134 claims here since 1978.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Muhlenberg?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Muhlenberg to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding61%Hurricanes8%Earthquakes8%Cold waves7%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Muhlenberg faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

61% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Muhlenberg flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Muhlenberg, from FEMA’s records.

134paid claims since 1978

$2.8Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 17 claims, $45K
Hurricane Isaias: 12 claims, $786K
Hurricane Floyd: 4 claims, $33K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Muhlenberg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Berks County.

Disasters that hit Muhlenberg

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Berks County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Muhlenberg itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into MuhlenbergDeclared for Berks County only

Berks County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Muhlenberg

Muhlenberg and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Readingmostly inland floodingLow

Ontelauneemostly inland floodingLow

Muhlenbergmostly inland floodingLow

Bernmostly inland floodingVery low

Alsacemostly inland floodingVery low

Ruscombmanormostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Muhlenberg covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Muhlenberg’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Muhlenberg. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Muhlenberg total about $6.7M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.